Parosmia, Dysosmia, Cacosmia & Phantosmia

Report of Charles Bonnet syndrome with olfactory hallucinations. Read more.
Parosmia and phantosmia are enhanced in patients with severe depression. Read more.
Significant prevalence of olfactory hallucinations in Parkinson's disease. Read more.
No long-term benefit to topical cocainization as a treatment for phantosmia. Read more.
Patient complaining of bad body odor suffering from olfactory delusional syndrome rather than phantosmia. Read more.
Odor source localization less accurate in schizophrenic patients with olfactory hallucinations. Read more.
Case study of cacosmia associated with fungal dacryocystitis. Read more.
Halitosis-like phantosmia experienced by two young patients undergoing radiation therapy for brain tumors. Read more.
Case report of unilateral cacosmia associated with maxillary sinus fungal infection. Read more.
Case report of complex olfactory hallucinations during a migraine attack in a 17-year-old patient. Read more.
Despite expense, MRI imaging is cost-effective in the workup of idiopathic dysosmia. Read more.
Schizophrenic patients have altered hedonic responses to the smell of amyl acetate. Read more.
Changes in odor perception during major depressive episode persist after clinical improvement of depression. Read more.Osmophobia is common in Taiwanese migaineurs and linked to higher anxiety and depression scores. Read more.
Olfactory reference syndrome in a patient with Parkinson's disease. Read more.
A study links olfactory hallucinations in schizophrenia to specific neuropsychological impairments. Read more.
A case report of Olfactory Reference Syndrome discusses proposed changes to the DSM-V classification. Read more.
Olfactory hallucinations may be a significant non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease. Read more.
Schizophrenic patients with olfactory hallucinations more likely to have olfactory habituation deficits and past episodes of brief unconsciousness. Read more.
Case report of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord and a novel dysosmia. Read more.
An unusual case of migraine headache associated with olfactory hallucinations in a patient with post-traumatic anosmia. Read more.
Activation of subdural electrodes implanted near the olfactory bulb in epileptic children produce olfactory hallucinations. Read more.
A case report of long lasting phantosmia that disappeared under anti-depressive treatment with venlafaxine. Read more.
Case report of headaches in a migraine patient induced by a Valsalva manoeuvre she used to relieve persistent cacosmia. Read more.
Large Chinese study characterizes olfactory and trigeminal event-related potentials in hyposmic and anosmic patients. Read more.Olfactory hallucinations in headache typically last 5 to 60 minutes, occur shortly before or with the onset of head pain, and consist of a highly specific unpleasant odor. Read more.
A review of the current clinical understanding of olfactory distortions and how to evaluate them. Read more.
A case report from Ceylon of a soldier in his early thirties diagnosed with Olfactory Reference Syndrome, on the basis of an imagined smell of urine in the absence of actual urinary incontinence. Read more.
Australian psychologist R.J. Stevenson examines the evidence for olfactory illusions and the reasons they may escape awareness. Read more.
The body locations that most frequently preoccupy patients with Olfactory Reference Syndrome are mouth (75%), armpits (60%) and genitals (35%). Read more.
A review of all 84 case studies of Olfactory Reference Syndrome published since 1891 reveals that a majority of patients are male with an age of onset <20 years. Read more.Brain areas involved in odor quality discrimination and odor memory are reduced in size in parosmic patients. Read more.
Progress reported on structured clinical questions that differentiate parosmics from healthy persons and patients with phantosmia. Read more.
Two surgeons draw attention to cases of parosmia after laparoscopic gastric bypass and gastric banding. Read more.

News & Reviews

A new review highlights the functional significance of social chemosignals in human reproduction and survival. Read more.
Impaired olfaction is a characteristic feature of Parkinson's disease. A new review summarizes this aspect of PD and the use of smell tests for early and differential diagnosis. Read more.
A cross-cultural comparison of Europeans, Cook Islanders and the Tsimane' of Bolivia finds higher olfactory acuity in the second group, a modern society living amid less air pollution. Read more.
Review of legal cases in the Westlaw database suggests that median settlements and awards for olfactory dysfunction resulting from physician negligence are $300,000 and $412,500 respectively. Read more.

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A review of olfactory dysfunction in dementia examines current research and compilation of olfactory assessment tools. Read more.
Systematic literature review finds lack of standardization in quantitative assessment of children's sense of smell. Read more.
Differences in cannabinoid receptor expression in olfactory bulb may account for different sensory effects of cannabis in mice and humans. Read more.Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels could play a important functional roles in mammalian olfaction. Read more.
A review of olfactory bulb involvement in neurodegenerative diseases, with analysis of large autopsy study of olfactory tract and bulb pathology. Read more.
Literature review finds clear and consistent correlation between general olfactory function and olfactory bulb volume. Read more.
Anatomical features of the anthropoid nose are vestiges of previously functional structures; the vomeronasal organ is absent in adult humans but has a role in olfactory neurogenesis. Read more.
Olfactory event-related potentials now have been recorded successfully from infants between 23 and 41 days old. Read more.
The role of anti-inflammatory therapy and controlled odor exposure in the management of gradual onset smell loss. Read more.
Meta-analysis suggests that olfactory deficits are a useful marker for schizophrenia risk status. Read more.
A review of the anatomy and cellular constituents of the human olfactory mucosa. Read more.
The few studies available suggest that anosmia and olfactory dysfunction are dose-response outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury. Read more.
A review of the literature considers how smell impairment impacts quality of life. Read more.
A review of hyposmia in Parkinson's disease and its role as a potential biomarker. Read more.
French review of surgical treatment for nasal polyposis finds improvement in olfactory function. Read more.
How variation in olfactory receptor genes contributes to individual differences in odor perception. Read more.
A review of olfactory deficits and other features of different hypogonadotropic hypogonadal syndromes. Read more.
A review of olfactory neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease. Read more.
Interdisciplinary team speculates about olfactory measures to diagnose and treat infant malnutrition. Read more.
A smell and taste clinic reviews findings from 5,183 patients examined over a 40-year span. Read more.
A review of Machado-Joseph disease notes olfactory dysfunction as one of its nonmotor, extracerebellar features. Read more.
A first-person account of congenital anosmia by a philosopher is included in a special smell issue of The Anatomical Record. Read more.
Humans can discriminate as many as one trillion odors, far more than previously thought. Read more.
A comprehensive review suggests links between smell function and autoimmune disease. Read more.
A systematic review of chemosensation in myasthenia gravis recommends olfactory testing in this disorder. Read more.
A literature review places olfactory dysfunction among the non-cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Read more.
A review of smell and taste disorders for the primary care physician. Read more.
A review of olfactory and taste function in autism spectrum disorders. Read more.
A review of olfactory disorders for the clinical rhinologist covers quality of life issues and pathophysiology processes. Read more.
Review of 26 articles finds that osteitis in chronic rhinosinusitis is associated with reduced olfaction. Read more.
Yale study examines possible mechanisms underlying effects of aging on the olfactory system, suggests new research directions. Read more.
Systematic review of 22 studies of smell and taste alterations in chemotherapy patients draws no firm conclusions. Read more.
Literature reviews finds that olfactory dysfunction is an early sign of neurodegenerative disease. Read more.
Revised Portuguese language version of widely used smell test validated in Brazilian population sample. Read more.
Review of olfaction in physiology and disease finds olfactory dysfunction to be clinically significant and likely to grow in prevalence. Read more.Large-scale review of scientific literature finds olfaction key to human evolution and quality of life. Read more.
A review of plasticity and neurogenesis in the human olfactory system, focusing on the olfactory bulb. Read more.
Subjective and objective effects on quality of life assessed in 1,000 patients with olfactory dysfunction. Read more.
A review of the genetics, diagnosis, and treatment of Kallmann syndrome in women. Read more.
Literature review of olfaction in affective and anxiety disorders reveals mixed results. Read more.
A review of olfaction in child and adolescent psychiatric disorders finds changes in function in disorders with dopaminergic pathology. Read more.
Canadian researchers review the decline in smell and taste in Alzheimer's disease and stroke with attention to its nutritional consequences. Read more.
Italian researchers review neurological diseases preceded or accompanied by olfactory dysfunction. Read more.
The Wall Street Journal's Ellen Byron describes ways to fight age-related decline in the sense of smell. Read more.

Filmmaker and congenital anosmic Jacob LaMendola creates a short film featuring people with acquired and congenital anosmia. View it here.

Two otolaryngologists review for plastic surgeons the importance of conducting pre-operative baseline smell testing. Read more.
A brief review of the olfactory system and its disorders by a leading smell researcher. Intended for a neurological audience. Read more.
A review of findings that olfactory loss and conditions such as parosmia are associated with a reduction in olfactory bulb volume. Read more.
Richard Doty reviews the neurobiology of smell loss in Parkinson's disease. Read more.
Two researchers at the VCU School of Medicine review the possibility of olfactory epithelial transplantation as a means of restoring smell. Read more.

Disorders of Odor Perception is updated frequently. Items are entered chronologically with newest items at the top of each column.

Disorders of Odor Perception offers links to the latest science and news about olfactory dysfunction. It does not endorse the material on the linked sites, nor does it offer medical advice. For medical advice about disorders of smell, consult your physician.